"Freedom Walk" has no freedom for press, easy arrest.

[Eric J in MN]

From Mr. Holly Martins of wonkette.com:

America Supports, Registers, Fences You Freedom Walk

The DoD is taking extreme security precautions for Sunday's tasteful Clint Black jamboree commemorating the fourth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks--to the point of erecting restraining fences all along the two-mile path of the march from the Pentagon to the National Mall:

What's unusual for an event on the Mall is the combination of fences, required preregistration and the threat of arrest.

Park Police officials said security and safety were concerns, especially because Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld will participate in some of the day's events...

Tight Constraints on Pentagon's Freedom Walk

Also from that Washington Post article on the Freedom Walk:

The U.S. Park Police will have its entire Washington force of several hundred on duty and along the route, on foot, horseback and motorcycles and monitoring from above by helicopter. Officers are prepared to arrest anyone who joins the march or concert without a credential and refuses to leave, said Park Police Chief Dwight E. Pettiford...

One restricted group will be the media, whose members will not be allowed to walk along the march route. Reporters and cameras are restricted to three enclosed areas along the route but are not permitted to walk alongside participants walking from the Pentagon, across the Memorial Bridge to the Mall.

More freedom news:
George W. Bush Can Imprison Anyone Without Trial

[FlemingsGhost]

1. Why doesn't the media just not show up?

Aren't they shooting themselves in the foot, with regards to press coverage, by restricting access?

[Eric J in MN]

3. Ideally, the press would say to Hell with it, if we can't

even walk with the people, we're not covering it.

[katmondoo]

2. Good! Why should they have any media attention?

Let them march in total oblivion.

[Eric J in MN]

4. The press will be there, but only in areas the Pentago chooses (nt)

nt

[IChing]

5. ******I HAVE PICTURES OF THE FENCE AND PARTICIPANTS******

I WAS USING MY ORWELL
" MODEL 1984 FUTURE DIGITAL CAMERA"

[FlemingsGhost]

6. LOL ... Nice. (n/t)

Flem.

[shraby]

7. Why in the hell is it being called a FREEDOM WALK?

There is no freedom IN the walk. All freedoms are being curtailed to have the walk. What a bunch of total crap.

[Mairead]

8. Because that's how they label things in fascist states, that's why!

Completely undemocratic dictatorships are called Democratic Republics, completely unfree walks are called Freedom Walks, french fries are called freedom fries, sauerkraut is called liberty cabbage, lies are called truth, oppression is called justice, and plutocratic oligarchy, democracy.

It's one of the best signs of fascism.

[Eric J in MN]

9. The only thing Bush llikes about "freedom" is saying the word.

In practice, Bush and his cronies are intolerant.

Bush claims he can label any one of us an enemy combatant and imprison us indefinitely, and today an appeals court agreed (Jose Padilla cast.)